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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28251267">An Open-Shut Case</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictorium/pseuds/fictorium'>fictorium</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supergirl (TV 2015)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>American Politics, Bisexual Kara Danvers, Cat Grant Comes Back, F/F, Journalism, Kara Danvers Needs a Hug, Politics, Prison, Slow Burn Kara Danvers/Cat Grant, Worried Cat Grant</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:56:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,162</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28251267</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictorium/pseuds/fictorium</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Cat is still the toast of DC, but left the White House when Olivia did. Kara calls out of the blue saying she's about to be arrested for possessing classified materials. Cat promises to come back and help out, but ends up doing so in a more direct way than anyone is expecting. When it comes to the First Amendment and journalistic freedom, Cat Grant is not remotely in the area of fucking around. </p><p>Can she save Kara - and most importantly protect her identity as Supergirl? How much personal trouble is Cat willing to invite for someone who should be just another reporter to her? All that sacrifice only brings her and Kara closer together, but to make a life together they'll need to secure freedom first.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kara Danvers/Cat Grant</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>116</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Super Santa Femslash 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkRabbitPro/gifts">PinkRabbitPro</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Title from Taylor Swift's 'Willow'</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cat wishes she had never stepped away from the table at this godforsaken event. At least the table had an array of useful items, like knives. Here at the bar in the Hay-Adams, her only defense against boring men who wanted to lecture her into agreeing to a date is the heavy-based crystal glass in her hand. As long as that still holds more than a finger’s worth of peaty Scotch, she won’t smash it over anyone’s head; but she’s definitely getting close. </p>
<p>“Excuse me,” she says, interrupting some well-meaning silver fox in a four-thousand dollar suit, whose jacket sleeve he hikes up every thirty seconds to make sure she sees his ten-thousand dollar diving watch. She’d bet her house in St Barth’s that he’s never been deeper than the shallow end of her pool. </p>
<p>Taking out her phone is just a courtesy, the thing is almost permanently silenced to all calls that aren’t direct from her boys. The fact that it’s flashing up Kara’s startled expression from four years ago startles Cat almost as much in turn. Anyone else would have added their number with a flattering headshot. Kara’s selfie had been interrupted by Winn, of all people, and still she’d saved it to her contact details. Cat has always found it oddly charming, and tonight is no exception.</p>
<p>“Well, well, Kara Danvers. I haven’t heard from you since you cried on my shoulder about your boyfriend leaving.”</p>
<p>“Cat?”</p>
<p>“Yes. You did call me, remember?” Cat ducks into a booth, the high leather back affording some privacy. There’s something about Kara’s voice that has pricked her sense of imminent trouble.”</p>
<p>“Cat, I did something bad. But I had to! There’s… the government have been lying. To everyone. But I can’t get out of here, Cat. They’re going to catch me.”</p>
<p>“Okay, keep calm. Do you have evidence on you?”</p>
<p>“Yes. A file drive. It’s all on here.”</p>
<p>“Listen to me, hide that one somewhere they won’t see right away. Find something else - anything, even paper files, and let them catch you with something visible. It delays the inevitable search, and by then we can get the actual files out via your attorney. Kara, do you understand what I’m telling you?”</p>
<p>“Yes, Ms Grant. I can’t… I’ll do what you said. I’m in National City, at the army base in the desert. I don’t know where they’ll take me, but do I call Snapper? How do I get the magazine’s attorney to find me?”</p>
<p>Cat gets up at that, starts striding towards the entrance. “You do as you’re told and you cooperate. Remember, Kara Danvers can get arrested but people will notice if certain other blondes go missing for a few days. Let me make some calls. I’m flying back to oversee this myself.”</p>
<p>“You don’t have to do that, Ms Grant. I know you’re still working in DC, even if it’s not for the president anymore.”</p>
<p>“Kara, trust me. You cannot be the face of this. One way or another, I’m getting you out by morning. Just hang tight, or whatever the adorable kitten poster in your dorm inevitably said.”</p>
<p>There’s a moment of silence. Then, “It actually said ‘hang in there’.”</p>
<p>“Then that’s what you’ll do. Welcome to the business end of being a reporter, Kara. It’s not all prize ceremonies and long lunches.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, I think they’re almost here. The attorney will find me?”</p>
<p>“I’ll make sure of it.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, Ms Grant.” Kara can’t hide the tightness in her voice.</p>
<p>“I told you before, it’s Cat. We’re colleagues now, in the trenches together. Is there anyone else I should contact for you?”</p>
<p>“My sister, Alex. She’s my emergency contact at--” The line goes dead. Signal jammers no doubt. Or if they took the phone from her, it’s not like some jackbooted G-man can actually hurt Kara in any way. That’s how Cat consoles herself as she steps outside and hails a taxi, fingers in motion over her phone screen as she arranges her priorities. </p>
<p>Attorney. Plane. Sister. </p>
<p>It’s all in her hands now.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Lucy Lane, to her credit, answers the first call. Given how she slunk out of CatCo and back to the military, Cat half-expected to be ignored. </p>
<p>“Lane. Junior. I need an attorney and you’re up.”</p>
<p>“Cat, I don’t work for you anym--”</p>
<p>“You can’t begin to imagine how much that detail doesn’t interest me. I’ve got a reporter in trouble with the government. Your section of it, the kind that wields guns and disappears people who conveniently show up beyond identification in car wrecks. Do I need to elaborate?”</p>
<p>“This is America, we are not in the habit of silencing journalists.” Lucy repeats the line like it’s her twentieth time that day; maybe it is. “I left you a skilled and proactive legal department at CatCo, so why are you calling me?”</p>
<p>“That team will work under you, with you, however you prefer it, Major Lane. But I need someone with a personal investment, and you are it.”</p>
<p>Cat drums her fingers on the car door handle as she waits for it to click.</p>
<p>“That means it’s someone important to me. Not James? Because honestly, I don’t think he’d appreciate my help.”</p>
<p>“No, no, it’s the other corner of your love triangle from a Young Adult franchise. Kara. Kara Danvers.”</p>
<p>Lucy heaves a sigh at that. “Kara can look after herself. And she has a sister in government work, you can call her.”</p>
<p>“I will, but I still need you. Lucy, please. You know why it’s not a good idea for Kara to languish in government custody, just as well as I do.”</p>
<p>“You know?”</p>
<p>“I’ve always known. Give or take the odd parlor trick. I’m wheels up in thirty minutes, can you get to her by the time I land?”</p>
<p>“I’ll have to find out who executed the arrest but sure. Call me when you’re in National City, and we’ll take it from there.”</p>
<p>Cat closes her eyes for a moment. It’s a start. This is how all her great adventures began. A pointed plea and a good idea that she’ll have to push past all opposition. Especially here, since the second part of this grand plan is going to have everyone, including Carter, up in arms. That’s a price she’s going to have to pay, the one she’s paid over and over again because she’s the first one to truly assess a situation and play out all the angles. </p>
<p>By the time she boards her plane, everything is in place for Cat Grant’s Sudden and Unexpected Return to National City. It might lack the drama of being blown out of the sky on Air Force One, but not for long. </p>
<p>She just needs Kara to play along, and Lucy to do her part. The rest? Well, that’s all up to Cat, and that’s how she does things best.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kara can’t say she’s a fan of prison so far, even if the room she’s being kept in is more of a store cupboard with delusions of grandeur. That’s what Cat would probably call it. Rao, she’s glad she called Cat.</p>
<p>Although that certainty is ebbing with each passing minute she spends in this room where she can almost touch the walls just by extending her arms to each side. It’s not the pod, not anywhere near as cramped as that, but the feeling of surfaces too close is familiar, almost suffocating any time she lets herself fixate on it for too long.</p>
<p>So Kara stops herself from doing that. She breathes, like she learned in yoga. She visualizes, like she learned in her teenage counselling sessions. And when neither of those work for long, she tells herself quietly in Kryptonian that she could punch through these dull cinderblocks without ever feeling the impact, and blast or burrow her way to freedom in seconds. She’s trapped, but also incredibly not at the same time. As if on cue, the heavy (to humans) metal door swings inwards without the slightest squeak of hinges. Wherever this place is, it’s well maintained. </p>
<p>“Danvers?” Another soldier of some description with his name tags missing and face obscured by a black ski mask is the one barking at her.</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>“Your representation is here. You get five minutes, max.”</p>
<p>“Wait, but--”</p>
<p>“Do you want me to make that zero?”</p>
<p>“No,” Kara replies, getting up and scurrying after him. She almost forgets that she’s shackled, wrists and ankles, and only a bit of super-balance stops her falling flat on her face. Feeling like a blonde Jacob Marley, it’s a relief when her journey only takes two hallways to complete. </p>
<p>Which is nothing in comparison to the relief she feels when the door opens and Lucy Lane is sitting on the far side of an institutional metal table, complete with a hook that Kara’s cuffs are chained to as soon as she sits down. She opens her mouth to greet her old friend, but Lucy’s glare is sharp and sudden. Not until the guard leaves and the door is firmly closed does Lucy relax even a single facial muscle. </p>
<p>“Well, you did it this time, Kara.”</p>
<p>“Nice to see you too. What happened to having brunch more often? You and Alex are both such workaholics, I swear. Is that part of basic training, learning how to never leave your government facility?”</p>
<p>Lucy glances at the two-way mirror on the wall, but Kara knows that their conversation has to be entirely private. That’s just a basic right, and even if she’s technically in the wrong right now, she is still a citizen. </p>
<p>“Cat called me. She wanted me to handle this personally. So I suppose my first question has to be: did she send you somewhere tonight in order to intercept classified information? Did this request come from CatCo?”</p>
<p>“Lucy…”</p>
<p>Lucy blinks once, twice, assessing Kara’s lack of answers. “Did you speak to her tonight? Has she told you what she wants you to do now?”</p>
<p>“I have something to give you,” Kara says, not entirely sure she’s doing the right thing. Lucy’s response will tell her. Sure enough, Lucy doesn’t flinch, as though expecting to be told something along those lines. That’s as close as Kara can get to sure in this situation. “Something that you have to give to Cat and no one else.”</p>
<p>“I thought that might be the case. Kara, there’s a chance I’ll be searched too. I can’t guarantee anything.”</p>
<p>“I know, but we have to try. This is important, Lucy. We’re talking the kind of information you would resign over. I know you would.”</p>
<p>Lucy gives a low whistle, leaning back from the table even as Kara leans into it in her earnestness. “I’ll try to get you released tonight, but there are no guarantees. Just hold tight until we can get you out. Is your, uh, second job covered?”</p>
<p>“Cat was letting Alex know. She’ll make the usual arrangements. If you could apologize for me? At least there’s no skirt now.”</p>
<p>Lucy nods. “I’ll speak to them both. It might be smart to get some powerful people advocating for your release. Former presidents maybe, DEO directors, maybe even some local heroes like Dreamer and say, Supergirl. This would be a good time to see how outside she is.”</p>
<p>“Did Cat say anything else?” Kara tries to keep the hope out of her voice. It’s been months since she spoke to Cat, before tonight. The time difference and the busy lives usually make texts and emails their default communication, and Kara has forgotten how much certainty she feels on hearing Cat’s voice, that natural take-charge way of hers. </p>
<p>“I’m going to call her once I know what you’re facing here. CatCo’s legal team will probably step in by morning, but they might need outside specialists in constitutional issues. I’ll help where I can, but Kara you have to understand this won’t be an easy dismissal. Maybe under a different government they’d accept your rights as a journalist, but this White House is going to fight you over every word. You need to get ready for that.”</p>
<p>“I’m ready.” Kara lifts her chin to show she can’t be intimidated. It’s not clear if Lucy is convinced or not. “And it doesn’t matter how hard it gets. What matters is doing the right thing. Always has been.”</p>
<p>“Even without the cape, huh?” Lucy teases just a little, lifting the mood for the first time. “Okay, let’s start the fight to get you out of here.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, Lucy. I really do appreciate you being here.”</p>
<p>“Please, what are friends for? And you’ve got more powerful friends than me, too.”</p>
<p>Kara smiles at another mention of Cat. “Let’s see if she’s still talking to me after all this.”</p>
<p>“Of course she will be,” Lucy replies. “The story must be huge if the reaction is this extreme, and we all know that’s what matters most to Cat Grant: the story.”</p>
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